Danama
BAYE KOUYATÉ
This CD was recorded in New York, and Baye Kouyaté (Bye Koo-ya-TAY) is spending the summer in Brooklyn, but he lives most of the year in South Tampa, so we'll claim him as our own. Kouyaté, a talking-drum master and griot from Mali, blends the indigenous folk sounds of his native land with a modern sensibility. The instrumentation combines African (the harp-like kora, the xylophone-like balofon) and Western (bass, guitar, trap drums), with the swooping sonorities of the talking drum adding spice. It all adds up to an effervescent and hypnotic set of mostly instrumentals (although Kouyaté's ethereal vocals on a couple of songs are a winning bonus). 3.5 stars
This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 5, 2008.